Newsflash: Military Report Says Women Should Be Allowed in Combat

The Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC) has released a report that, as expected, recommends allowing women in the U.S. to serve in combat. The recommendation reads (scroll to page 19) [PDF]:

DoD and the Services should eliminate the “combat exclusion policies for women, including the removal of barriers and inconsistencies, to create a level playing field for all qualified service members. The Commission recommends a time-phased approach:

a. Women in career fields/specialties currently open to them should be immediately able to be assigned to any unit that requires that career field/specialty, consistent with the current operational environment.

b. DoD and the Services should take deliberate steps in a phased approach to open additional career fields and units involved in “direct ground combat” to qualified women.

c. DoD and the Services should report to Congress the process and timeline for removing barriers that inhibit women from achieving senior leadership positions.

If the Department of Defense moves forward with the recommendations, the U.S. armed forces will be further along the path to eliminating gender inequality. Women already fight alongside men; an updated policy would finally recognize their service and fairly reward them for it.

Comments

Speaking at least for the US Army, from which I am about to retire after 25 years of service; the physical fitness standard for women must be the same as the standard for men. Currently women's physical fitness requirements are decidedly lower than their male counterparts.

Before we consider women in direct combat units, we should first make this adjustment concerning fitness levels. Which, I believe will not happen, because many will call it 'discriminatory', given the differences in strength and cardiovascular levels of men and women.

Women have done a good job in today's military. But differences do exist, and if the only reason to integrate women into direct combat roles is for career enhancement – then we as a nation have our priorities greatly out of order.

Jon, I agree with you. The same standards should be met, but I do believe that an adjustment will not be made just for the females who join the armed forces — to change these standards would absolutely be an enormous mistake. Also, I doubt the only reason is for career enhancement. What if women WANT TO FIGHT for their country? There's a thought.
But Cody, I wonder. The question you posed wasn't very clear. There are two types of people: females and males. Beyond that, there shouldn't be a difference who watches your back as long as someone is there, covering you, and as long as both genders are fit to the same standards.

Woman are already in combat so I don’t see a logical reason to keep them from formally serving. The only reason the ban hasn’t already been lifted is because of people like Cody. Sexism plain and simple, and they have the nerve to try and use real facts to support their personal views on sexual politics. When the military was integrated racially there was an asshole like Cody who said “do I really what a nigger watching my back?” and when the don’t ask don’t tell policy was finally repealled there was an asshole prolly named Cody who also said” do I really want a faggot watching my back?” Am I the only one who sees this pattern here??? If I as a woman am qualified for the job and meet the same pt standards as the men why should the simple that I have a vagina hold me back? The answer is bigotry. And when women are allowed to formally serve in combat MOSs that will be the only problem. But women must be held to the same standards, can’t give the men anything else to bitch about, the fact that you have a vagina and not a penis is apparently upsetting enough for them.

I agree that Cody was a little sexist, but also men understand other men and thus have a closeness that helps when they’re fighting in battle. I agree that woman should have to fight, but also that they should have to meet the same standards, and they should have to be eligible for the draft as well. If they want equal rights, they should have to have equal responsibilities and have to go through the same things as men.